42 |^ Progressive Grocer^ |^ Ahead of What’s Next^ |^ July 2019
Category Watch Snacks
continue to evolve to meet the needs of constantly
on-the-go consumers. When it comes to replacing
meals with snacks, younger consumers are most
likely to engage in this behavior: More of younger
Millennials indicate that this is common practice
for them, the most of any age group. Lunch was the
most common meal to be replaced by a snack with
breakfast was the second most-common meal to be
replaced. Among all food categories, snacks are an
innovation machine, and fl avor innovation is critical
to the category, acting as a tailwind and spurring
the rise in snacking occasions.
And with increased frequency of snacking
comes a growing demand for snacks that couple
substantial nutritional value with convenience and a
variety of appealing textures and powerhouse fl avors
that satisfy. But some things haven’t changed. Taste
is still No. 1 when it comes to choosing a snack. But
Millennial consumers are also looking for a short
list of trusted, real, whole or “clean” ingredients that
satisfy hunger and provide idealized quality, which
extends to exotic or premium halos and specifi c
attributes regarding how the food was sourced and
produced. In particular, they’re thinking about how
their purchase may impact personal factors, societal
concerns such as the local community or economy,
worker and animal welfare, and global sustainability
of the environment and the planet.Individuals may look to snacks to satisfy a
variety of needs, including a desire for a particular
nutritional attribute, fl avor or texture; as a
source of energy and appetite satisfaction; for
replenishment and recovery after physical activity;
as a de-stressor or for emotional comfort, or as a
way to relax or indulge. Snack selection may look
completely diff erent for a person snacking alone
compared with when snacking with children or
others. Not surprisingly, children are the biggest
infl uencers when it comes to purchasing snacks,
according to Mintel’s 2017 consumer trends
research. A majority (69 percent) of Millennial
moms say that their kids understand that some
snacks are healthier than others. Data also suggest
that parents are willing to pay more for a better-
for-you snack if they know that their child will
eat it. Th is presents an opportunity for retailers
to conduct better-for-you snack-sampling events
specifi cally geared toward customers and their
kids. Right-sizing portions to appropriate snack
sizes is a key part of positioning convenience or
on-the-go snack options.
Snacking is one of the top three fastest growing
FMCG categories and it is likely to accelerate
due to the transition to the organized segment of
the industry. Th ere is a high level of innovation
and marketing activity happening to cater to
the impulse demand from consumers. Healthy
snacks with ingredients such as fi ber and high
protein content benefi cial in improving digestion
will increasingly support the market growth.
Additionally, ongoing R&D activities in healthy
snacks to add healthy ingredients for better
nutritional support will further fuel the growth
of healthy snack market, reveals Goenka of
Spencer’s Retail.
In general, trial of new snacks is highly
infl uenced by recommendations, ratings and
reviews. Research shows that 37 percent of
Millennials have tried a snack because of a
social media post made by someone else. Retail
dietitians, as trusted infl uencers, can regularly
introduce shoppers to specifi c snack items, trends
and recipes using social platforms and other
media. Shoppers are looking beyond the packaged
snack aisle to functional snack foods found among
fresh produce, prepared foods, the dairy case, bars
and nutritionals, and center store’s canned poultry
and fi sh. Popular attributes sought include protein,
probiotics, natural fi ber and omega-3s.
Th e increasingly powerful snacking trend
and growing demand for foods and beverages
with unique qualities – natural, functional,
energizing, satiating and convenient – are
causing consumers, manufacturers and retailers
to rethink the traditional snack category,
with products continuing to evolve and lines
increasingly blurring.With increased
frequency of
snacking comes a
growing demand
for snacks
that couple
substantial
nutritional value
with convenience
and a variety
of appealing
textures and
powerhouse
flavors that
satisfy.